Behaviour of flexible batter piles under inclined loads in layered soiI".

AND A. S. YALCIN
G . G. MEYERHOF
Civil Engineering Department, Technical University of Nova Scotia, Halifax, N.S., Canada B3J 2x4
Received August 6, 1992
Accepted November 13, 1992

The behaviour of single free-head model flexible vertical and batter piles under central inclined loads in two-layered
soil is investigated. The bearing capacity of the piles is found to depend on the layered structure, load inclination,
and pile batter. The theoretical estimates obtained from semiempirical relations agree well with the test results. Previous
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displacement equations for flexible batter piles in elastic isotropic soil are modified for piles in anisotropic layered
soil using an effective embedment depth of equivalent rigid piles. Practical equations for horizontal and vertical dis-
placements of flexible batter piles are presented on the basis of resultant influence factors that are related to the batter
angle, load inclination, and distribution of soil modulus with depth. The observed horizontal and vertical displace-
ments of the piles are in reasonable agreement with the theoretical estimates, which are also supported by the results
of some field cases.
Key words: bearing capacity, deformation, batter pile, inclination factor, inclined load, layered soil, model test,
sand, clay.

Le comportement de pieux simples flexibles verticaux et inclines a t&telibre soumis a des charges centrkes inclinees
dans une sol bi-couche est etudie. L'on trouve que la capacite portante des pieux depend de la structure des couches,
de l'inclinaison de la charge et de l'inclinaison du pieu. Les estimations theoriques obtenues en partant de relations
semi-empiriques concordent bien avec les rksultats des essais. Les equations antkrieures de dkplacement pour les pieux
flexibles inclines dans des sols isotropes sont modifiees pour les pieux dans des sols anisotropes en couches en utilisant
une profondeur effective d'enfouissement de pieux rigides equivalents. Des equations pratiques pour les deplacements
horizontaux et verticaux des pieux flexibles inclines sont presentees sur la base de facteurs d'influence resultants qui
sont relies a l'angle d'inclinaison du pieu, a l'inclinaison de la charge et a la distribution du module du sol en fonction
For personal use only.

de la profondeur. Les deplacements horizontaux et verticaux observes des pieux concordent raisonnablement bien avec
les estimations theoriques, qui sont Cgalement appuyees par les rksultats de cas sur le terrain.
Mots clPs : capacite portante, deformation, pieu incline, facteur d'inclinaison, charge inclinke, sol en couches, essai
sur modkle, sable, argile.
[Traduit par la redaction]

Can. Geotech. J . 30, 247-256 (1993)

Introduction
In view of the frequent applications of batter piles in foun-
dations to resist inclined forces, a considerable amount of
work has been done in theory and in the field and labora-
tory to evaluate the performance of such piles. Earlier exper-
imental investigations related to single batter piles under
lateral and inclined loads in sand and analytical methods
were presented to estimate the bearing capacity and displace-
ments from coefficients of subgrade reaction (Kubo 1965;
Awad and Petrasovits 1968). More recently, an analysis of
the displacements of single flexible batter piles and pile
groups in homogeneous elastic soil was given (Poulos and
Davis 1980). The evaluation of the bearing capacity of single
rigid batter piles and pile groups under inclined loads in sand
and clay (Meyerhof and Ranjan 1973; Meyerhof 1981) and
in layered soil (Meyerhof et al. 1981) were among the con-
tributions based on experimental work. Lately, the
behaviour of flexible vertical ~ i l e under
s lateral and inclined
loads in homogeneous soils was presented in several papers
(Sastry et al. 1986; Meyerhof et al. 1988; Sastry and
Meyerhof 1990), and similarly the bearing capacity under
eccentric and inclined loads in sand and clay (Meyerhof and
Gosh 1989) and in layered soil (Yalcin and Meyerhof 1991)
was reported.
A pile is considered flexible if its relative stiffness K,
compared with that of the soil is less than about 0.01 (Poulos
and Davis 1980). The value of K, is given by
Printed in Canada / Imprime au Canada
where EpIpis the flexural rigidity of the pile, and En is the
normal soil modulus along the embedded length L of the
pile.
The present study is the result of extensive laboratory tests
to determine the bearing capacity and displacements of single
model flexible vertical and batter piles under inclined loads
in two-layered soil consisting of soft clay over loose sand.
The previous analysis of the bearing capacity of rigid bat-
ter piles in homogeneous soils is extended to flexible batter
piles in layered soils. The displacements of these piles are
evaluated by elastic theory, allowing for the observed
anisotropy of the soils. The test results are compared with
theoretical estimates using the approach based on the effec-
tive embedment depth of equivalent rigid piles (Liu and
Meyerhof 1988).
Tests
Soil data
The soil used in the present tests consisted of a top layer
of soft clay underlain by a bed of loose sand. The sand had
an effective particle size, Dlo of 1.5 mm and a total unit
weight of about 14 k ~ / r n ~and
, its moisture content was
negligible. The sand was poured into wooden test boxes,
430 x 420 mm in cross section and a height varying accord-
 CAN. GEOTECH. J. VOL. 30, 1993
I I
140
BATTER
130- ANGLE
P
- Pv
120- + 30'
OD
- 30"
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0' I 2
HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL DEFORMATION ,Ph , P, (rnrn)
FIG 1. Typical load-displacement relations of single flexible vertical and batter piles in layered soil under inclined load. C,,, undrained
shear strength.
ing to the desired thickness of the test beds. The friction
angle 4 determined by triaxial tests (Sastry 1977) was approx-
imately 30" (plane strain angle close to 33O) when the initial
porosity was 45% and the relative density D, was
about 0.2. The average values of the deformation moduli
of sand were Eh = 0.5 MPa in the horizontal and
E, = 1 M P a in the vertical directions (Yalcin and
Meyerhof 1988). The values of Eh and E, were deduced
from horizontal pile load tests and vertical plate load tests,
respectively.
The clay had an average natural water content of 32%
and liquid and plastic limits of 43 and 21 Yo, respectively.
The clay was prepared at approximately 55% moisture con-
tent for the tests and mixed with 2% lime by dry weight to
increase the brittleness of the mixture. It was then packed
and compacted by kneading into test boxes described earlier,
wrapped with a plastic cover to prevent the escape of
moisture, and cured for 7 days before testing to ensure its
proper reaction with the lime. The total unit weight of clay
was about 17 kN/m3, and its average undrained shear
strength was 22 k ~ / m ?The strength along the horizontal
direction was approximately 20% greater than along the ver-
tical direction, and the average values of the deformation
moduli were Eh = 1.2 M P a in the horizontal and
E, = 5.5 MPa in the vertical directions (Yalcin and
Meyerhof 1988).
I I I I
DEFORMATION
VERTICAL HORIZONTAL
- Ph
• -
0 0
A n
-
-
-
r
3 4 5 6 7
The thickness H of the clay bed was varied so that the
ratio of H to the depth D of pile embedment had values of
0 (sand only), 0.5, and oo (clay only). The test boxes of beds
of clay and sand were clamped together with the clay overly-
ing the sand, and the total height of two beds was 350 mm.
The clay box was covered with a plastic membrane on the
inside to ensure a free downward slip of clay bed and full
contact with the surface of the underlying sand bed.
Model piles
The model piles were made of nylon with a yield strength
of 100 MPa and an elastic modulus of 3000 MPa. They had
a diameter B of 12.5 mm and an embedded depth D of
190 mm. The free-head piles were jacked either vertically
or along a batter angle fl of 30°, at a uniform penetration
rate of 0.6 mm/s. The penetration resistance of the pile was
recorded periodically and at the end of penetration, a rigid
75-mm-square aluminium cap of 19 mm thickness was fixed
to the pile. The loading was applied in increments simulta-
neously along the vertical and horizontal directions at the
cap (base at 27 mm above ground level) where vertical and
horizontal displacements were recorded. The ratio of the
load increments in the vertical and horizontal directions pro-
vided an angle of load inclination cu that varied from
0° (vertical) to 90" (horizontal), with intermediate values of
 MEYERHOF AND YALCIN

27 and 63". Typical load-displacement relationships are 0C;oo - ANGLE OF LOAD

I N C L ~ A T I O N: W
given in Fig. 1. 1
Test results
Ultimate load
The ultimate load Q, was determined graphically from
load-displacement relations according to Fig. 33.1 of
Terzaghi and Peck (1967) as the load corresponding to the
initial point of the linear section of the curves (Fig. 1).
Relationships of the ultimate loads of vertical and batter
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piles obtained from the present tests at various load inclina-

tions are shown in the polar bearing capacity diagrams of
Figs. 2 and 3, respectively, for thickness ratios H / D of 0,
0.5, and co. The sign of the batter angle /3 is designated with
respect to the direction of the inclined load at the pile head.
Accordingly, in the case of a pile with a positive batter + /3,
the load acts in the direction of the batter, whereas in the
case of a negative batter - 0, the load acts in the opposite
direction of the pile batter. In the present tests the batter
angle was varied from + 30 to - 30°, with an intermediate
value of 0" for the vertical pile.
As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the ultimate loads Q, of ver-
tical and batter piles decrease rapidly with increasing load
inclination a and decreasing thickness ratio H/D of the clay
bed. The maximum capacity of batter piles was observed
under axial loads regardless of H/D, and it is somewhat
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smaller than that of the corresponding vertical piles. The

minimum capacity of batter piles was developed under hor-
izontal loading, and it was somewhat greater for = - 30"
than for p = + 30" at all H / D ratios (Fig. 3).
The bearing capacity of piles under inclined loads can also
be presented by an inclination factor i,, relating the vertical
component of the ultimate inclined load with that of an axial
load for vertical rigid piles (Koumoto et al. 1986) and
similarly for flexible piles (Yalcin and Meyerhof 1991). In
both cases i, = Quv/Qa,where Quvis the vertical compo-
nent of the ultimate inclined load Q,, and Q, is the ultimate
axial load. In the present case of batter piles i, = QUv/Qa
cos p and may be related more conveniently to E , the angle
between the load direction and the pile axis, rather than to
a , as was done previously. The observed values of i,
deduced from the test results of vertical and batter piles for
thickness ratios of H / D = 0, 0.5, and GO are given in
Figs. 4a, 4b, and 4c, respectively. It is observed that for the
same angle E the i, values of piles with a negative batter
(p = - 30") lie above those obtained from piles with a posi-
tive batter (0 = + 30°), and the values from vertical
piles (0 = 0") lie between them. Moreover, for all values
of H / D the inclination factor i, decreases rapidly with
increasing E, especially for clay.
Displacements
Safe load versus groundline displacements observed for
the present flexible vertical and batter piles under various
load inclinations are given in Figs. 6 and 7, respectively. The
safe load used corresponds to approximately 50% of its
ultimate value. Figures 6a, 6b, and 6c show relations of the
safe horizontal component Qh of the inclined load and the
horizontal groundline displacement ph for thickness ratios
H / D = 0, 0.5, and co , respectively. For vertical piles, hor-
izontal displacements are found to be directly proportional
to the horizontal component of the inclined loads irrespec-
tive of the load inclination. However, the values of displace-
HORIZONTAL LOAD, Qh(N)
FIG. 2. Polar bearing capacity diagrams for single flexible
vertical piles under inclined loads in layered soil. Batter
angle P = 0".
ments of batter piles are governed by the angles of both load
inclination a and pile batter p. When subjected to identical
loading conditions the displacements ph of piles with a
negative batter (p = - 30") are larger than those obtained
for piles with a positive batter (0 = + 30°), and the ver-
tical piles (0 = 0") have displacement values between these
two. In each case the displacements at a given load are
greater for sand than for clay.
Despite some scatter of the test results, similar behaviour
is observed in connection with the influence of the values
of a , 0, and H / D on the relationships of the vertical com-
ponent Qv of the inclined safe load and the corresponding
vertical displacement pv measured at the pile head for thick-
ness ratios of H / D = 0, 0.5, and co, as shown in Figs. 7a,
7b, and 7c, respectively. Again, it is found that the angles
of load inclination and batter greatly affect the vertical dis-
placement behaviour of batter piles.
Analysis of test results
Ultimate load
A flexible pile with a batter angle /3 penetrates through
a clay layer of thickness H into sand to an embedment
depth D and is subjected at its free head to a central ultimate
load Q, inclined at an angle oc to the vertical (Fig. 5). The
pile is said to have a positive batter ( + P ) if it is inclined
in the direction of the load, as shown in Fig. 5, and a
negative batter ( - p) if it is inclined in the opposite direc-
tion to the load. The theoretical ultimate net lateral soil
 250 CAN. GEOTECH. J. VOL. 30, 1993
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HORIZONTAL LOAD, Qh(N)

For personal use only.

FIG. 3. Polar bearing capacity diagrams for single batter piles under inclined loads in layered soil. Batter angle P = rt 30°;a,angle
of load inclination.

pressure distributions on the pile shaft can be obtained for for a corresponding vertical rigid pile (Sastry et al. 1986),
clay (Brinch Hansen 1961) and sand (Terzaghi 1943), as for but their magnitude depends on the pile batter, as for an
piles in corresponding uniform soils (Meyerhof and Sastry inclined retaining wall (Meyerhof and Ranjan 1973). Thus,
1985). These soil pressures are assumed to act on an equiva- it was shown (Meyerhof and Sastry 1985) that
lent rigid batter pile with an ultimate effective embedment Nl ~lBDeu
depth Deu,which varies with a (Sastry and Meyerhof 1990), [31 Qun =
cos p
the change of the soil modulus E with depth, and the relative
stiffness K, of the pile to that of the soil, where where Nl is an ultimate load factor of 0.25 for sand and 0.4
for clay, pl is the average lateral soil pressure within
depth D,,.
approximately, for a = 90" and a maximum value of unity The ultimate load Qu at any intermediate inclination
E = a - /3 with the pile axis (Fig. 5) can be estimated from
for a = 0 (Meyerhof et al. 1988). The ultimate point resis-
tance Q, in the sand is inclined with the pile axis (Meyerhof the semiempirical relation (Meyerhof and Ranjan 1972)
and Sastry 1985) and can be estimated from corresponding (Qu cos c). + (Qu sin E)' = 1
bearing capacity theory (Meyerhof 1953). [41
An analysis of the ultimate load of a batter pile under Qua Qun
an inclined load in layered soil can be made as for a corre- The observed values of Qu for flexible vertical and batter
sponding vertical pile (Sastry et al. 1986) by considering the piles (Figs. 2 and 3, respectively) are found to be in reason-
limiting cases of an ultimate axial load Qua inclined at able agreement with this relationship, which appears to be
a = 0 and an ultimate normal load Quninclined at a = somewhat conservative for large inclinations of the load on
90" + P. The theoretical value of Qua can be estimated batter piles.
conventionally (Meyerhof 1976) by considering the point Alternatively, the value of Qu at any inclination E may
resistance in the sand and the shaft resistances in the sand also be estimated, approximately, from the relationship for
and clay layer with an allowance for the effect of pile inclina- piles in homogeneous soils (Koumoto et al. 1986) when
tion, which decreases the point resistance and increases the
shaft resistances compared with those of a vertical pile at
the same depth (Meyerhof and Ranjan 1973). The theoretical
value of Qunis obtained by considering the equilibrium of
the applied and resisting forces P I , P2, and P3(Fig. 5) on
[5] Qu =
[:>I
Qa 1 - 1 - - sin E

and the corresponding inclination factor iffof the vertical

an equivalent rigid pile with an ultimate effective embed- component of Qu is given by
ment depth Deu(Meyerhof et al. 1988). The distribution of Qu COS a
[6] iff =
the lateral soil pressures is assumed to be the same as that Qa cos P
 MEYERHOF AND YALCIN
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ANGLE BETWEEN LOAD AND PILE AXIS, & = oc- p (DEG)
FIG. 4. Inclination factors for bearing capacity of vertical and
batter piles inclined loads for (a) sand (4 = 33", H / D = O),
(b)clay over sand ( H / D = 0.5), and (c) clay (C,= 22 kPa;
H / D = 03). -, observed; - - -, theory.
Comparison of the values of i, deduced from the test
results with the theoretical estimates (Fig. 4) shows that
reasonable agreement is generally obtained. However, the
estimates are rather conservative for negative batter piles
except in homogeneous clay. An approximate and conser-
vative estimate of i, may also be obtained by modifying an
earlier expression (Meyerhof and Ghosh 1989):
Displacements
The horizontal and vertical groundline displacements ph
and p,, respectively, of a flexible batter pile (batter angle P)
with a free head under an inclined load Q less than the
W//W//&
CLAY
F I G . 5. Displacements and earth-pressure distribution on a
single flexible batter pile under inclined load. C, adhesion.
ultimate (Fig. 5) can be estimated from elastic theory of an
isotropic soil (Poulos and Davis 1980). If the horizontal and
vertical soil moduli, Ehand Ev, respectively, differ as in the
present tests (Yalcin and Meyerhof 1988), an average soil
modulus E, may be used, approximately, for the estimates
when
Alternatively, based on an analysis of displacements in
anisotropic soil (Barden 1963) with a modular ratio
n = Eh/Ev, an anisotropy factor of approximately
[9] Fa = n"
is used to modify the displacement influence factors for
isotropic soil I,,, for an axial load Qa and I,, for a normal
load Q,. Assuming an elliptical variation of the soil
modulus in different directions with n 5 1, then for batter
piles the axial modulus becomes
and the normal modulus becomes
[I:[] En = - Eh
cos p
approximately, for P 5 30". For layered soil, the weighted
average values of Ea and En of the layers are substituted for
Ev and Eh, respectively, in [lo] and [1 I].
Although the displacements of a flexible batter pile under
axial load are governed by the full pile length of D/cos P,
the displacement under normal load can be estimated,
approximately, from those of an equivalent rigid pile of
length D,/cos p, where D, is the elastic effective embed-
ment depth, and
for a = 90" and a maximum value of unity for a = 0
(Meyerhof et al. 1988). For anisotropic soil, it is convenient
to use the effective modular ratio
 252 CAN. GEOTECH. J. VOL. 30, 1993
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HORIZONTAL DISPLACEMENT, Ph (rnm)

HORl ZONTAL DISPLACEMENT, Ph (rnrn)

FIG. 6. Horizontal load-displacement relationships of single flexible vertical and batter piles under inclined loads for (a) sand
(4 = 33"; HID = 0), (b) clay over sand (HID = 0.5), and (c) clay (C,= 22 kPa; HID = m). Batter angle: 0,+30°; 0 , 0";
A, - 30". Values of CY are given at each symbol. - - - , theory.

to modify the equations for the displacements ph and pv due where

to the horizontal component H = Q sin a and the vertical
I,, sin2 /3
component V = Q cos CY of the load on a batter pile in [18] I,, = I,, cos2 /3 + m
isotropic soil (Poulos and Davis 1980). On this basis
cos p and
[I41 = -(IhhH + Ihv T/) [191 I,, = I,,
D&nFp
For layered soil, the values of Ea and En in 1131, [14],and
where F, is a yield displacement factor (Poulos and Davis [17] are average soil moduli within depths D and D,,
1980), and respectively.
[l5] Ihh = mIpasin2 P + I,, cos2 6 The values of the above influence factors have been
evaluated for rigid vertical and batter piles (0 = t 30") in
and
sand and clay with modular ratios of n = 0.5 and 1.0
[16] Ihv = (mIpa- I,,) sin 0 cos ,8 (isotropic soil), and they are given in Table 1 , which shows
and that a moderate anisotropy (n = 0.5) changes the factors
 MEYERHOF AND YALCIN
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VERTICAL DISPLACEMENT, Pv(mrn)

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VERTICAL DISPLACEMENT, P, (rnrn)

VERTICAL DISPLACEMENT, Pv (rnrn)

FIG. 7. Vertical load-displacement relationships of single flexible vertical and batter piles under inclined loads for (a) sand (4 = 33";
H / D = 0), (b) clay over sand ( H I D = 0.5), and (c) clay (C,= 22 kPa; H I D = 03). Batter angle: 0,+30°; 0 , 0"; A, - 30'. Values
of CY are given at each symbol. - - - , theory.

by about 25%. For use in practice, [14] and [17] can be Iv v

simplified to [21.] p, = -
DEaFp
IhH
[201 P , = - where Ih and Iv are resultant influence factors for horizon-
2EnFp
0.
tal and vertical displacements, respectively, of equivalent
and rigid piles. These factors have been evaluated for various
 CAN. CEOTECH. J. VOL. 30, 1993

TABLE1. Values of influence factors for rigid piles

Sand Clay

p = 0° p = k30° p = 0° 6 = k30°

Factor n = 0.5 n = 1 n = 0.5 n = 1 n = 0.5 n = 1 n = 0.5 n = 1

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NOTE: /3, batter angle; n = En/Ea.

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L O A D INCLINATION, oc (DEG.) LOAD INCLINATION, oc(DEG.1

Frc. 8. Resultant influence factors of horizontal and vertical displacements of single rigid batter piles under inclined loads for (a) sand
and (b) clay. - - - , I,; -, 1".

+
load inclinations on batter piles (P = 30") and values of
n = 0.5 and 1.0, and they are plotted in Fig. 8. It is found
that contrary to the case of vertical piles, the load inclina-
tion a greatly influences the theoretical resultant influence
factors Ih and I, of batter piles. For a given load inclina-
tion, a moderate anisotropy (n = 0.5) has a relatively small
effect on the influence factors for positive batter piles but
it greatly changes the corresponding factors for piles with
a negative batter. Comparison of the observed horizontal
and vertical displacements of flexible vertical and batter piles
with theoretical estimates based on the above analysis
(Figs. 6 and 7, respectively) shows generally fair agreement,
but the estimates of the vertical settlements in sand tend to
be rather excessive due to soil compaction by pile installa-
tion. The test results confirm the importance of the magni-
tude of the load inclination on the displacements of batter
piles, especially those with a negative batter.
Field cases
Although several results of lateral load tests on flexible
batter piles have been published, only a few piles were
instrumented to determine the bending moments and other
information from which the effective embedment depth of
equivalent rigid piles can be deduced to estimate their cor-
responding behaviour.
 MEYERHOF AND YALCIN
The soil conditions at one of these test sites (Alizadeh and
Davisson 1970) consisted of submerged medium t o fine
sands and silty sands with an average standard penetration
resistance N = 27 blows/0.3 m in the upper 18 m. The aver-
age friction angle was 4 = 33", and the increase of the hor-
izontal soil modulus with depth was n h = 14 M N / ~ Two ~ .
steel H batter piles (piles 12 and 13) of 355 mm width and
a flexural rigidity E,I, = 86 M N were ~ driven
~ at batter
angles of 6 = - 18 and + lgO, respectively, to a depth of
13 m into the sand. The average horizontal soil modulus was
about Eh = 90 MPa, and the relative pile stiffness was
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K, = 1.5 x (eq. [I]). The corresponding theoretical
elastic effective depth was De = 4.0 m (eq. [12]) compared
with an average depth of 4.8 m from the measured bending
moments.
Under a normal load of 200 kN applied near ground level
the corresponding deflections of both piles were practically
identical at 13 mm, which compares well with the theoretical
value of ph = 12 mm (eq. [20]) for 6 = k18". For the
positive batter pile the observed soil failure load was about
350 kN, and the observed ultimate effective depth was about
5.5 m compared with an estimated value of Q,, = 320 kN
(eq. [3]) for a corresponding depth Deu = 6.4 m (eq. [2]).
However, for the negative batter pile the soil did not fail
under the maximum applied normal load of 300 kN when
the observed effective depth was about 5.0 m compared with
the estimated ultimate values of Q,, = 360 kN (eq. [3])
For personal use only.
and D,, = 6.4 m, as before.
Conclusions
Extensive series of tests have been conducted on model
flexible and batter piles under central inclined loads in two-
layered soil consisting of soft clay overlying loose sand. The
test results show that the ultimate loads of vertical and bat-
ter piles decrease rapidly with increasing load inclination and
decreasing clay-layer thickness. The maximum capacity is
developed under axial loads regardless of the clay-layer
thickness, and this capacity is somewhat smaller for batter
piles than for the corresponding vertical piles. The minimum
capacity is obtained under lateral loads, with values for the
piles with negative batter exceeding those with positive
batter.
Inclination factors that relate the vertical component of
the ultimate inclined loads with the vertical component of
the axial load have greater values for the piles with negative
batter than those with positive batter for the same angle
between the load direction and pile axis. The vertical piles
have values of inclination factors lying between those of
positive and negative batter piles, as would be expected.
The ultimate inclined load of flexible vertical and batter
piles can be estimated theoretically by a semiempirical
interaction relationship of the ultimate axial load using con-
ventional bearing capacity analysis and the ultimate normal
load evaluated from the earth pressures acting on an
equivalent rigid pile with an allowance for the pile inclina-
tion. Alternatively, the ultimate load can be estimated by
theoretical inclination factors, allowing for the pile batter.
The test results generally agree reasonably well with the
theoretical estimates.
For vertical piles the horizontal displacements are found
to be directly proportional to the horizontal component of
the inclined loads, irrespective of the load inclination. How-
ever, the values of displacements of batter piles are governed
255
by the angles of both load inclination and pile batter. Under
the same loading conditions, these displacements are larger
for piles with negative batter than for those with positive
batter. A similar behaviour, with some scatter of test data,
is found for the vertical displacements measured at the pile
cap.
Theoretical evaluations of vertical and horizontal ground-
line displacements of vertical and batter piles have been
based on a modification of previous displacement influence
factors of flexible piles under axial and normal loads in
elastic and isotropic soil. In this modification, the observed
anisotropy of layered soil has been considered as well as the
pile flexibility using an effective embedment depth of an
equivalent rigid pile. The theoretical relations derived for
the displacements include resultant influence factors which
are governed by the angles of load inclination and pile batter
and the degree of soil anisotropy. For a given load inclina-
tion, the soil anisotropy considerably influences the theoretical
displacements of piles with a negative batter, whereas posi-
tive batter piles are not much affected by soil anisotropy.
Comparison of the test results and theoretical estimates
shows generally fair agreement. It is found that the inclina-
tion of the load greatly affects the horizontal and vertical
displacements of batter piles, particularly those with a
negative batter. Although the results of some lateral load
tests on batter piles in the field support the proposed
methods of analysis, it is hoped that further field observa-
tions are made on the behaviour of batter piles under
inclined loads in different soils to check the proposed
analysis under more general loading and soil conditions.
Acknowledgement
The research program at the Technical University of
Nova Scotia was carried out with the financial support of
the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of
Canada.
Alizadeh, M., and Davisson, M.T. 1970. Lateral load tests on
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